Empty Your Pockets Before Going To Sleep
By katzar0712
@katzar0712 (324)
Philippines
July 23, 2011 4:34pm CST
I have read this on a new book I am reading and thought it would be nice to share it to you guys.
"An expert tailor says that the best way to keep clothes in good shape is to make sure that the pockets are emptied when they are hung up."
We may infer from this, that the best way to keep ourselves and our lives in good shape is to empty our minds of all worries, anxieties, tensions and negative thoughts before we retire for the night. We can then begin the new day with energy vigor and freshness.
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Sounds true, right?
I observe that before I go to sleep I would think of all the things I have accomplished within the day. Alongside, I would analyze the things or tasks I have yet to accomplish on the following day. Imagine, we are working for more than 12 hours a day and then we are even pressuring ourselves to think before we get to bed. Oh, sleep! I must have caused you a lot of pain.
What about you? Am I the only one who experiences this kind of thing?
5 people like this
17 responses
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
23 Jul 11
I may be strange, or the fact that most of my clothes have no pockets, but I don't leave anything in my pockets..My husband on the other hand won't wear a shirt without pockets and he sometimes has 2-3 shirts filled with paperwork and junk...
1 person likes this
@katzar0712 (324)
• Philippines
23 Jul 11
Nyah.
That's weird. Hehe.
Anyway, with or without pockets, I wish we can unload life's negative energies before going to sleep.
Morning, Carmel.^^
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
23 Jul 11
Well, that is something else I refuse to carry, negative energy...
LOL...And same with my husband, he thrives on negative energy..
LOL...And same with my husband, he thrives on negative energy..1 person likes this
@katzar0712 (324)
• Philippines
23 Jul 11
Aww, Carmen, you are so harsh on your husband, lol! ^^
Well, guys really have this tendency to carry more negative emotions than us. Hehe.
But I noticed though that when they have problems or worries they don't act right away, they are like waiting and waiting for the problem to be fixed by others. haha :)
1 person likes this
@_sketch_ (5742)
• United States
23 Jul 11
No, everyone does this. This is what causes anxiety. We can't stop thinking enough to allow ourselves to fall asleep. It is so strange how out of control we allow our minds to be, to the point where it interferes with something as simple as sleeping. Well that is a good story and a great analogy.
1 person likes this
@_sketch_ (5742)
• United States
23 Jul 11
Actually you can. This is the basis for meditation. It is just a very difficult thing to learn since in this world, we have become so identified with our minds. It's not about shutting off your brain. Your brain does many things automatically without you having to think about it. Thinking is that monologue or dialogue going on inside your head. Yes, one most certainly can control the thoughts.
1 person likes this
@katzar0712 (324)
• Philippines
23 Jul 11
Meditation or yoga?
I have yet to try this one.
I have read that you need a peaceful place to start with and that is one problem I have.
I wish I can control my thoughts, or I am just another scattered-brain lady. haha.
There is so much to think, so much to do and yet so little time.
@_sketch_ (5742)
• United States
24 Jul 11
Meditation, but it is good to have a clear mind while practicing yoga as well. And yes, it generally needs to be in a quiet place at least when you are first starting, but wouldn't it be quiet during the night before bed? Or early in the morning? These are good times to meditate.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157873)
• United States
24 Jul 11
You have drawn a very appropriate corollary with us needing to empty the pockets in our mind. I trust you will have a restful sleep tonight. You have put these thoughts together well.
1 person likes this
@katzar0712 (324)
• Philippines
24 Jul 11
i certainly wish i can. haha.
its a nice technique but is very hard to accomplish though.
just a couple of days ago i posted something about my difficulties in getting sleep, i realized its because my mind is drifting someplace else (like the tasks i need to do) and i am getting mentally harassed (sounds harsh).
anyhow, i believe that this takes practice and positive outlook...
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
24 Jul 11
Hi katzar!
That's a really good saying. I agree to that. It's always good to sleep without any worries in the mind or any bad feelings in your heart. Whenever I experienced something bad during the day, or if I'm worried something, or if I had a fight with someone, I try my best to forget all that before going to sleep. I usually try to think of happy things instead. I'm not very good at clearing the mind so I just think about wonderful thoughts and replace all the bad thoughts so I can have a good night sleep. 
But sometimes if I'm really tired, I don't think anymore and I just go to sleep without having anything on my mind at all. 
But sometimes if I'm really tired, I don't think anymore and I just go to sleep without having anything on my mind at all. @katzar0712 (324)
• Philippines
24 Jul 11
Clearing the mind! that's it, that's the hardest part though. haha.
Love the part when you said you try your best to forget unhappy events and replace them with happy thoughts before going to sleep.
maybe i should start thinking of wonderful things or perhaps i should be inspired so i can have a good night sleep ^^
thanks, secretbear.
- kat
1 person likes this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
24 Jul 11
I remember those meditation guidelines that you have to clear your mind, how can anyone do that?? So I just follow Peter Pan, think of happy thoughts so you can fly, and I just altered it a little.
So I just follow Peter Pan, think of happy thoughts so you can fly, and I just altered it a little. 
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
23 Jul 11
What keeps us awake at night? Worries! Get rid of the worries, have a more fitful sleep and thus more energy the next morning! The key to a good day is a good start. I find this to be very true - if one gets rid of the worries and other negative things before falling asleep, the next day starts of far brighter.
There is one sticky catch though. Silencing worries is no easy task. During the day we can distract ourselves with work and crowd those worries out of minds. However, at night, one is just laying there doing nothing. This is the perfect time for worries to take the front seat.
It's easy to rid our pockets of odds and ends, but its not so easy to clean the trash out of our minds - especially when we have nothing to distract us. :)
1 person likes this
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
24 Jul 11
Well, in a child's mind mom and dad are the source of everything so nothing to worry about there! So many kids want to grow up so bad and yet they don't know what they are really asking for! I agree - children have so much energy each day, and they fall asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow. I'm kind of jealous...
We adults can learn from them though - whatever we are worrying about will not be solved by laying there and chewing it up in our minds - we might as well go to sleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow to. :)
1 person likes this
@katzar0712 (324)
• Philippines
24 Jul 11
Ah, talk about the benefits of having someone else to rely on. I am kinda jealous of kids, too but I guess I (we) had my (our) time before, right? When our worries only revolves on who gets the biggest or most expensive toys. haha :)
Hmmm. This reminds of being childlike. Simple-minded, controllable and happier ^^
@katzar0712 (324)
• Philippines
23 Jul 11
I love your response, Awinds.
Just look at a child with so little worries, they are able to enjoy their sleeping time and try to observe their attitude and energy the following day. What a refreshing sight, right?
Adults do a lot of thinking. We are stressed most of the time - either physically or mentally. And even when its time to rest our mind is still on a thinking mode.
Pause, pause, pause. But it's not easy to do.
1 person likes this
@katzar0712 (324)
• Philippines
23 Jul 11
err... there is really nothing to prove here.. :)
we have to read between the lines.
the discussion is about freeing yourself of worries and stress prior to sleeping :)
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
24 Jul 11
It is a good thing to do, both emptying our pockets (so the threads do not loosen as our change is in our pockets) and to empty our minds of all negativity and allow positivity to flow through before we sleep.
I found that if I let go of everything I've worried about that day, before I sleep, that I sleep better and that the next morning I awake with great and positive optimism.
@myfb2009 (8296)
• Malaysia
25 Jul 11
That's quite wise way to free yourself from tension before you go to sleep. I even shut down my computer an hour before i want to go to sleep, to free my mind from it. I always free myself from worry and tension before going to bed by listening to music. Even my son loves to listen to some music before he can go to sleep without complain. I think we need to be able to sleep well, in order for us to wake-up the next day feeling refresh and full of energy.
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
24 Jul 11
That's pretty interesting but so true, we should try to empty our minds in order to get a good night's sleep. I heard it's relaxing to do so, but for me, I'm a real thinker, I sit and think and analyse and dissect what's going through my mind and sometimes if the event i"m thinking of is painful, I get really depressed.
@beingwell (3625)
• Thailand
25 Jul 11
Hi katzar! It's true, we have to empty ourselves in order to stay in shape. How else could we learn new stuffs in life if we are already full of ourselves, so to speak.
We should always have a general cleaning of our lives every so often. Let's not burden ourselves with things of the past. Let's learn from them, and then move on to a brighter future.
We should always have a general cleaning of our lives every so often. Let's not burden ourselves with things of the past. Let's learn from them, and then move on to a brighter future.
@fabsprecious (1565)
• United States
27 Jul 11
I don't know why, but most of the time I find myself going over everything prior before going to sleep. It is like if my mind starts processing everything that happened at work, especially if I am having difficulties whether it be at work, financially, at home, personal problems. Sometimes it even difficult for me to fall asleep, at times I have gotten headaches trying to force myself to sleep.
I personally hate when that happens, but I will guarantee you that it will not happen two nights in a row, because the following night around 7PM I am popping a sleeping aid pill to help me sleep through the night.
Luckily it doesn't happen as often as before, but unfortunately there are nights, when my mind tends to wonder right before going to sleep.
@keenan_savio (416)
• India
23 Jul 11
Its a very good thought and very true also. We put ourselfes through a lot and have a lot of worries in life due to a lot of reasons. When I get to bed I normally like you think as to how that day has gone and then just relax and leave everthing behind and get good rest. It helps me because when I wake up the next day I am fresh and can start my day without any worries and perform better.
It helps you focus on the job and things that you do and also keep syou stree free. Also try listening to some music or doing something that makes you feel good at times when you stresses and it takes a lot of the burden of you..
@katzar0712 (324)
• Philippines
23 Jul 11
I need that kind of focus friend. Haha.
But things are easier said than done.
Sometimes our mind in not working in conjunction with our body.
have you experienced this?
Your body is tired and it wants to take a rest, but your mind is drifting somewhere, wanting to accomplish more tasks than ever.
I need a vacation! Ha-ha.
I wish you a great day, Keenan.
Thanks for your reply!
- kat
@whitewingspeak (888)
• Philippines
23 Jul 11
Hi katzaro!
I don't wear clothes with pockets when i sleep though. Haha. What i wanna wear is the very old loose shirts, or nighty made of chinese thin cotton and all of them don't have pockets anyway.
And once i crawl into bed after work, i forget everything, I just wanna make myself comfortable in my sleep position and then sleep. 
1 person likes this
@katzar0712 (324)
• Philippines
23 Jul 11
Hello there friend,
What's up?
Well, it is really nice to sleep wearing comfortable clothes. but is even nicer when we unload our negative energies prior to sleeping. This will give us a good night sleep for sure.
have a great day!
- kat
@RJlady1 (144)
• United States
25 Jul 11
I'm pretty tired when I go to bed, so I'd say I don't really analyze or think that much before I go to sleep. I do remember that when I had a high stress job outside the home, I'd have trouble sleeping because what happened during the day would roll around in my head.
I can see that if you are working more than twelve hours a day your mind must be stuck in your day.
@bouncybug (614)
• South Africa
24 Jul 11
I really like this analogy - of emptying out your pockets and your thoughts before you get into bed at night. I have exactly the same problem - I get into bed and tend to toss and turn for ages, just thinking about the events of the day or things that are worrying me or what there is to come. The best way to get a good night's sleep is to somehow empty your mind and clear your thoughts, as there is not much you can do to change them at that moment! The trouble is, its far easier said than done to do this!
@pbbbsra (1214)
• Philippines
24 Jul 11
I am not aware of this though, my husband and I have this hobby of talking before we sleep. We would talk about his work, he would askme how my day been. We would talk about a striking news. Before going to sleep is the best time for us to talk. we also dont sleep after arguing. We would talk and make up and then sleep.
